Introduction to Metabolic Control Analysis by a Simple and Low-Cost Laboratory Activity

SAFFIOTI, NICOLÁS ANDRÉS; ANGELANI, CARLA; DELFINO, JOSÉ MARÍA; FERNÁNDEZ VILLAMIL, SILVIA; GÓMEZ, GABRIELA ELENA; MANGIALAVORI, IRENE C; PIGNATARO, MARÍA FLORENCIA; SCHWARZBAUM, PABLO JULIO

Journal of Chemical Education

American Chemical Society

Lugar: Paises Bajos; Año: 2023 vol. 100 p. 4749 - 4755

Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) is a systems biology approach that allows measuring the control of a metabolic step on the overall flux of a metabolic pathway. In undergraduate courses of biochemistry, learning of MCA can be encouraged by experimental activities demonstrating practical applications of the MCA theory. In this work, we present a laboratory activity designed to measure the glycolytic flux of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by quantifying the CO2 generation in hermetically sealed syringes. Glycolytic flux was measured at different concentrations of povidone-iodine, an inhibitor of glycolysis. Then, the students analyzed the experimental results to calculate the response coefficient and sensitivity of the glycolytic flux to the inhibitor povidone-iodine. The activity was satisfactorily carried out by 80 undergraduate students in 2022 who at the end submitted a laboratory report for revision. Evaluation of students? reports indicated that the activity encouraged the learning of technical procedures required for MCA while also removed frequent students? misconceptions. The simplicity of the experimental approach and the availability of harmless and cheap reagents allow students to focus on the application of theorical concepts within the MCA framework.